Furnace-slagging apparatus



E. W. CLARK.

FURNACE SLAGGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 19H}.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET I.

in v zffo 7. 624/ A E. W. CLARK.

FURNACE SLAGGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED N0\{.23,19l8- Patented J an. 27, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- III E. w. CLARK;

FURNACE SLAGGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 191.8.

1,329,293. I Paented Jan. 27, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- v I i Y (MM/AA E. CLARKJ FURNACE SLAGGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, I918- Patented J an. 27, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. W. CLARK.

FURNACE 'SLAGGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2-3. 1918.

1,329,293; Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5- sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

EARL W. CLARK, or SHARON, PENNsYtvANIA.

runNAon-sLAeorNe APPARA Us To all whom it may concern." 7

Be it known that -I, EARL W. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, .residing at Sharon, in the county-of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Furnace- Slagging Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an apparatus for ,slagging open hearth furnaces, and in cerhand slagging and to accomplish the slag- =ging more quickly and more satisfactorily than is method.

In the prior application the results are attained by slagging apparatus movable along the line of the furnaces, for which purpose a regular furnace charging machine may be utilized, and provided with feeding and distributing means adapted to be inserted in the furnace, and including a discharge end generally possible with the hand or distributing member movable about in' the furnace on a substantially vertical axis, in such a manner that slagging material may be de osited over the floor and on the banks of t e furnace.

The object of the present invention is to provide certain improvements which increase the efficiency and utility of a machine of this character. More specifically considered, it is one of the principal objects of the invention to so mount the distributing member or part of the conveyer that it has a greater and different range of movement relative to the part which supports it, and particularly to so mount it that it can be swung about a horizontal axis as well as about a vertical axis so that the discharge end can be raised and lowered in addition'to being swung horizontally, thus admitting of acertain range of vertical movement irrespective Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an, 27, 1920. Application filed November 23, 1918. Serial No. 263,805. I

of the size of the furnace door opening through which is extended apart of the mechanism which feeds the slagging material.

Additionally the invention aims to provide. other improved features including .a

distributer at the discharge end of the con- In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shown several forms of my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of the principal partsof the apparatus utilized in connection with a floor type charging ma-' chine, the furnace being shown in vertical section; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the furnace in horizontal section; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the slagging apparatus supported on a charging machine of the crane or overhead type; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, the section being taken substantially along the irregular line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale showing in detail a portion of the conveying and distributing means including the mountingand manner of shifting the distributing end thereof; Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of a part thereof; Fig. 7 is a view of the outer end of the distributing part of the conveyer showing a rotary distributer; Fig. 8 is a sectional view substantially along the line 88 of Fig. 7, omitting the screw conveyer; and Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view substantially along the line 9+9 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In the drawings, 10 represents a furnace of the open hearth type which is to be slagged by the apparatus constituting the subject matter of this invention, and a numher of which are usually arranged in a row,

and each having door openings 11, through which the furnace charge is inserted in the normal operation of the furnace, and

through which is inserted also that part of the apparatus of the resent invention which distributes the s agging material, usually dolomite,'over the bottom and banks of the furnace in the manner illustrated at 12 in Fi .land 3. a

'The urnace slaggingv apparatus as 'a whole, includes a suitable" support and con veying portion capable of being moved about on the exterior of the furnaces, and from furnace to furnace, and a portion or a part which is inserted into the furnace through the furnace door andi's moved about therein so as to distribute the slaggi'ng material over the floor and banks of the furnace, the slagging material being preferably fed from a source of supply on the exterior of the furnace'to the discharging or distributing.

end. The conveying and supporting means or portion referred to above may be a permanent part of the slagging apparatus, and may be used solely for that purpose, but as in the prior application already mentioned,

I prefer to use as a part of the slagging apparatus a furnace charging machine to support and convey about the mechanism or apparatus which feeds and distributes the slagging material, in which event the feed: ing anddistributing portion is detachably connected to the peel of the furnace charging machine, and that manner of carrying out my invention is illustrated in the drawings, whichshow the invention applied to or embodied intwo different forms of furnace charging machines, neither of which per se forms a part of the invention except in association with that part of the apparatus which performs the actual slagging operation.

In Fig. applied to 1 I have shown my invention a floor type charging machine,

a which briefly considered, includes a wheeled frame or truck 13, adapted to run along the rails 14 of a track parallel to and in front of the-line of furnaces. This frame or truck has rails 15 which are at right angles to the rails 14 and support a wheeled carriage 16, movable toward and from a furnace. This carriage supports a peel housing 17, mounted to rock about a transverse or horizontal axis 18, and in this housing there is a so-called peel 19 having a flanged forward end adapted in the normal operation of the machine to be detachably connected to one end of a box containin a charge which is to be inserted into the urnace and dumped therein. The charging is done by first connecting the forward end of the peel to the box, then positioning the peel in line with the furnace, raising and lowering its forward end until it is of-the proper height with reference to the furnace door, running it and the charge-containing box into the door of the furnace, and then rotating the peel in its housing so as to empty the box, after which the peel and the empty box are peel may to the furnace door, by rocking the retracted from the'furnace, the inward and i outward movements being obtained by shifting the carriage 17 forwardly and rearwardly over the track rails 15. I

As will be subsequently explained, the slagging part of the apparatus is connected to the forward end of the peel in the same then looked to the peel by the forward end of a rod or bolt which extends centrally through the peel and is controlled by the o erator on the carriage. In the use of tfie slagging machine for my purpose, 5. g. for slagging a furnace, the peel is not rotated in the housing.

In Fig. 3 a charging machine of the crane or overhead type is illustrated. This machine includes an overhead crane or 'rder 20, adapted to be moved alon overhea rails, one of which is shown at 21. lhis girder carries a transversely movable trolley or carriage 22, with a part extending downwardly therefrom to support the peel, and including an upper portion 23 and a lower portion 24; F

The platform 26, housing 27 and peel 28 may be raised vertically in the guides 25 by' any suitable means such as a motor 29 on the trolley 22, and the carriage may be moved along the crane 20 by a motor such as shown at 30, and the lower part 24 includingthe be turned about a vertical axis by a motor 31. Additionally the peel may be turned about its own axis in the housing 27 by a motor 32, and the peel can be locked to or unlocked from the charge containing box by shifting a hand lever 33 on the platform 26, all these motors being controllable by the operator on the platform 26. Inasmuch as both the charging machines of Figs. '1 and 3 are standard and well known machines, further description or illustration of the same is believed to be unnecessary.

It should be noted, however, that whereas the forward end of the peel 19 of Fig. 1 can be raised and lowered, and therefore properly positioned as to height with reference eel housing about the horizontal axis, the ideal 28 of Fig. 3 is bodily raised or lowered to properly position it as far as height is concerned with reference to the furnace door.

I-Iowever, either type of chargingmachine part of the comveyer is capable not only of a i can be utilized torsupport an material. Likewise supported on'the platform are actuating motors and drivmg de- 1 vices which will be referred to subsequently.

Additionally the apparatus includes mechanism for conveying the slag ing material from the hopper and for distribut ng t about in the furnace. This includes 1n this case, a hollow or tubular arm 36 containinga conveyer, preferably a screw conveyer a portion of which is shown in Flg. 5. Thls screw conveyer extends along the bottom of the hopper so as to feed the material from the hopper to the forward end of the tubular arm 36, and it consists preferably of'a long sleeve having a spiral flange on its periphery an mounted on a shaft both ends. 4

38, supported at At its outer end the tubular arm 36 has a 'head in the form of a casting 39, which is secured to, and forms a continuation of the arm 36. This casting, which, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 6, is substantially circular in outline, has a downwardly extendlng discharge tube '40 which is directly beneath the forward end of'the screw conveyer 37, this tube discharging the slagging material to the distributing conveyer beneath. Beneath the head or casting 39. is a second head or casting 41,- supported by the former through the medium of a flange 42 and ball bearings 43, so that the casting 41may turn about a vertical axis coinciding withthe axis .of the tube 40. Projecting fromthis head or casting 41 is a second hollow or tubular arm 44, the inner end of which is open at the top and directly beneath the tube 40 so as to receive the slagging material which passes therefrom, and this second arm 44 contains a screw conveyer 45 mounted torotate with a shaft 46 extending therethrough. At the outer end of the arm 44 there is a distributer head 47 in which the outer endof the shaft 46 is journaled and having a discharge opening 48 through whlch the charging material is delivered to the floor or banks of the furnace.

manipulate the slagging apparatus, and either movee1, whether the swinging .-rotaryj movement about a vertical f-axis',

which swings the discharge end in a. circle,-

but also movement about a horizontal axis" enabling the discharge-end to be raised and lowered relative to that part or. the conveyk ing means which is extended into the fur:

nace, all of these'movements being rendered] 7 possible without causing any interference whatsoever with the operation of the screw conveyers. .To the attainment of this end, the hollow arm 44 is not fixed to the revoluble' casting 41, but has a forked inner end 49 pivoted at 50 to the casting 41. Ad-

ditionally I make the shaft 46 of-the distributing arm in two sections, there being at the inner end of the main part 46'which extends through the arm 44 arelatively short section 51 journaled .in the casting 41 for rotary movement only, and this section is connected to the main section 46 by a uni-f versal joint which will permit an oscillatory movement between the parts, the center ing which provides clearance enabling the L arm 44 to be swung about the horizontal axis 50 so as to raise or lower the outer end of the arm 44. r

I will next take up the mechanism by which the screw conveyers-are driven, and

- the means by which the delivery section of the conveyer may be swung horizontally or vertically. It will be observed by reference to Figs. 1 and 3, that the-platform 34 which is supported by the peel and its housing, and is always on the exterior of the furnace, is

provided alongside of the hopper 35 with. two motor 54 and 55.- The motor 54 through reduction gearing 56 rotates a shaft 57 connected by chain and sprocket gearing 58 to the outer end of the screw conveyer shaft 38 which extends through the hollow conveyer arm 36 projecting forwardly from the hopper. At the forward end of the shaft 38 and located in the head or casting 39 just beyond the screw conveyer 37, is a bevel gear 59 which is rotated by the shaft 38, and rotates a double bevel gear 60 surrounding and free to revolve about the discharge tube 40 leading from the upper conveyer arm 36 (see Fig. 4) This double bevel gear 60 drives a bevel gear 61 fixed to the part 52 of the universal joint connected to the short shaft 51 at the inner end of the lower or distributing conveyer shaft 46.

The second motor 55 through reduction. gearing designated as a whole by the reference character 62 and including gears rotating freely on the shaft 57, rotates a shaft v the outside of the furnace 63 which is connected by chain and sprocket gearing 64 (see Fig. 9) to a shaft 65 which extends forwardly alon the upper conveyer tubular arm 36 throug a casing 66 which spect to the tube 40 about which the casting 41 is mounted to rotate.

Thus it will be seenithat the motor 54 drives the upper screw conveyer 37, whlch in turn drives the lower screw conveyer45, and that by operating the motor 55, which is preferably a reversing motor, the lower swlveled head or casting 41 can be turned so as to swing the lower or distributingconveyer horizontally about a vertical ax1s or a substantially vertical axis.

The swinging ofthe hollow arm 44 of the lower or distributing conveyer about the horizontal axis to raise or lower the inner end of the arm may be taken advantage of in different ways without in any way interfering with the normal feeding operatlon, e. the movement of the screw conveyers or the horizontal swinging movement of the distributing part thereof. For example, I may adjust the height of the outer discharge end of the arm 44, that is to say, I may adjust the angle of the axis of this arm with respect to the axis of the upper arm 36 on fore the conveying and distributing mechanism is run into the furnace to slag the same, in which event, all that is needed is the insertion of a block 71 of predetermined thickness, such as shown in Fig. 6, between the arm 44 and the portion of the casting 41 at or adjacent the point where the arm projects from the castlng. Or instead of relying upon 'a supporting block of selected thickness to cause the discharge end of the conveyer to be at a predetermined height in the furnace, I'may at will raise and lower the discharge end of the conveyer arm 44, and to this end I mount on the platform 34 a winch drum 72 (see particularly Fig. 9) which can be either power operated or manually turned by a crank 73. This winch drum receives a rope or cable 74, which extends forwardly along the hollow conveyer arm 36 through guide openings 75, 76 and 77 (see Fig. 5) in the head or casting 39 at the outer end of arm 36, the guide opening 77 being in line with the axis about which the lower head or casting is swiveled to swing horizontally. Through this guide opening 77, the cable extends out through the top of the casting 39, and over an upstanding rounded bead 78,

distributing part of the conveyer.

which extends around the periphery at the top of the casting 39, and then the cable extends downwardly to the arm 44 to which it is attached near its outer end, as shown at 79 in Fig. 5.

Thus by this mechanism, including the winch drum and the cable, from a point outside of the furnace the discharge end of the distributing member of the conveyer can be raised or lowered without interfering with the continuous operation of the conveyer and without affecting in any way the horizontalv swinging movement of the arm 44 or the In fact, the parts are so connected and driven that these various-movements may be imparted simultaneously.

The construction wherein the height of the discharge end of the conveyer may be adjusted is of considerable importance due to the fact that the size of the furnace door is necessarily restricted, and under certain circumstances may be too small to permit the desired vertical. range of movement of the discharge end of the conveyer by shifting the peel either by swinging the peel about its transverse horizontal axis of movement as in Fig. 1, or by giving it a bodily vertical movement in the overhead crane type of machine shown in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a distributing attachment which is particularly useful in obtaining an even distribution of the slagging material over the furnace floor. In this instance the outer end of the lower conveyer arm 44 is provided with a head 80 having an opening or spout 81 at the bottom leading into a hopper-like member 82 of a rotary distributer having at the bottom horizontally disposed outlets 83. This rotary distributer is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, and it is driven in this case from the conveyer shaft 46, which is provided at its outer end with a bevel gear 84 meshing with a bevel gear 85 on a short shaft having near its lower end a spur gear 86 engaging teeth 87 on the cylindrical wall gf the upper part of the distributer mem- This rotary distributer as before stated,

is of particular importance in slagging the bottom of the furnace, but when the banks are to be slagged, I prefer that the distributing part of the conveyer have the discharge opening arranged as shown in Fig. 5.

When the slagging machine is not in use,

that part of the apparatus including the and attached thereto and to the peel hous-- ing. To do this the forward end of the peel is inserted in a flanged groove of a casting 88 secured to the under side. of the conveyor arm 36, and it is locked thereto by the longitudinally extending bolt in precisely the same manner that the forward end of the peel is ordinarily attached to the box adapted to contain the charging material. Additionally in this case the platform is secured to the peel housing 27 by a clamp 89, and if desired, the end of the arm 36 next to the platform may be provided with a fork or yoke 90 adapted to rest on the peel so as to form a support about midway between the casting 88 to which the forward end of the peel is attached and the clamp 89.

When the slagging partof the apparatus is attached in this manner to-the eel and its housing, there is formed a comp ete slagging unit which may be moved about from furnace to furnace and manipulated so asjtoslag the difi'erent'furnaces. It will be understood that by horizontally swinging the distributing part of the conveyer, by raising or lowering the discharge end when desired, and-by moving the peel in and out, any part of the interior of the furnace to be slagged can be reached by the discharge end, the range of movement being indicated partially in Fig. 3, where some positions of the distributing part of the conveyer are indicated by dotted lines.

It will be understood that this machine is manipulated and all movements of all parts thereof are controlled from the outside of the furnace by an operator standing on the platform of the machine, Or at the operators station. To avoid confusion, the: switches and controllers for the several motors are not shown as they may have any suitable construction and arrangement to enable the motors to be started, stopped, operated at different speeds, and reversed wherereversmg motors are used, in the most convenient the discharge end of the distributing mem- 1 ber, and numerous constructional advantages which improve the operation, strength and durability of the machine.

While I have shown the preferred construction utilized with two forms of a furnace charging machine, it will be understood that changes may be made in details and in the instrumentalities -for carrying out the principle of my invention, an 1 84 1 in my claims to cover all modifications whlch do not involve a departure from the sp rit and scope of my invention in its broadest as sets.

Having escribed my invention, I claim:

1. In an apparatus for slagging furnaces, supportlng mechanism by wh1ch the apparatus maybe moved about exteriorly of .a furnace, conveying'nieans for slagging materlal carried by said mechanism and adapted to be extended from the exterior to the interior of a furnace and including a distributin part adapted to be moved vertically with respect to a second part which supports it and which is adapted to be extended into the furnace.

In a furnace slagging machine, mechan sm for conveying to and distributing slagging materlal on the interior of a furnace including a portion adapted to be extended into the furnace through the furnace door, and a distributing portion at the innerend of the first named portion, said distributing portion being mounted for swinging movement vertically relative to the first named portion which supports it.

3. In an apparatus for slagging furnaces, conveying means for slagging material including a portion designed to be inserted in a furnace, and a distributing-portion connected thereto for swinging movement about a substantially vertical axis and for swinging movement about a substantially horizontal axis.

4. In an apparatus for slagging furnaces, a hollow conveying arm with means for conveying material therethrough and adapted to be extended into a furnace from the exterior thereof, and a second hollow arm with means for conveying material therethrough, connectedto the first named arm so that its. discharge end may be raised or lowered with respect thereto.

"5. In apparatus for slagging furnaces, a

hollow conveyer arm with means forconveying mater al therethrough designed to be extended into a furnace from the exterior thereof, and a distributer member including a hollow arm with means for conveying material therethrough connected to the first named arm to swing horizontally and vertically with respect thereto.

6. In apparatus for slagging furnaces, a hollow conveyer arm adapted to be extended into a furnace from the exterior thereof, a second hollow arm connected thereto to swing horizontally and vertically, means extending through said a rms to convey material along the same said conveying means being connected adjacent the point where the arms are movably connected together.

7. In an apparatus for slagging furnaces, a hollow conveyer arm adapted to be extended into a furnace from the exterior thereof, a c nd h llow arm connected tally from the exterior of the furnace for sw1ng-.

' thereto and movable horizontally and Vertically with respect thereto, a. screw conveyer extending through each of said arms, and means by which the conveyer in the firstna-med arm drives the conveyer in the second named arm.

8. In' apparatus for slagging furnaces, a tubular conveyer arm adapted to be extended into a furnace and to be supported exteriorly thereof, a second conveyer arm connected to the first and adapted to receive slagging material therefrom, said second arm being pivotally connected to'the first named arm to swing vertically about a substantially horizontal axis, and means operable from the exterior of the furnace for swinging the arm. 1

9. In furnace slagging apparatus, a hollow conveyer arm adapted to be extended into the furnace and to be supported ex- I teriorly thereof, a second hollow conveyer arm connected to the first to swing hor1zonand vertically, and means operable said second arm horizontally and for swinging it vertically with reference to the first named arm. x

10. In apparatus for slagging furnaces, a conveyer for slagging material'including an arm ada ted to be inserted in the furnace door an a second or distributing arm cOnnected thereto to swing horizontally and vertically, conveying means extending along both arms and connected together so that one will drive the other, the conveying means for the second arm comprising jointed parts with the center of movement located at a definite position with respect to the axis of vertical swinging movement of said second arm.

11. In apparatus for slagging furnaces, a conveyer for slagging material including an arm adaptedto be inserted in the furnace door and a second or distributing arm connected thereto to swing horizontally and vertically, conveying means extending along both arms and connected together so that one will drive the other, the conveying means for the second arm comprising jointe parts with the center of movement located at a definite position with respect to the axis of vertical swinging movement of said second arm, and means operable from the exterior of the furnace for controllin the movements of said second arm and or operating the conveying means for both arms.

12. In an apparatus for slagging furnaces, conveying and distributing means for slagging material comprising two members, one the distributing part connected to the other for swinging movement horizontally and vertically, and means movable about on the exterior of the furnace and detachably connected to said conveying and distributing means to support the same.

vertically, means movable about on the .ex-

terior of the furnace for supporting said conveying and distributin means and including an arm to which the conveying and distributing means is detachably connected.-

14. In an apparatus for slag ging furnaces, conveying and distributing means for slagging material comprising two members, one the distributing part connected to the other for swinging movement horizontally and vertically, and means for supporting the conveying and distributing means including a supporting device movable vertically and laterally on the exterior of the furnace.

" 15. In apparatus for slagging furnaces,

' a hollow conveyer arm adapted to be inserted in the door of a furnace, a second arm movably connected thereto, means for conveying slagging material through both arms, and a rotary distributer at the discharge end of-the second arm.

16. In apparatus for slagging furnaces, a pair of jointed hollow arms including a distributing arm connected to swing with reference to the other arm, a rotary distributer at the free end of the distributer arm, 'means extending through both arms and connected together for feedingmaterial through said arms, and likewise connected to said distributer to rotate the same.

17. In a slagging apparatus, a pair of hollow arms, one adaptedto be extended into a furnace, and a second connected to the first to swing about in the furnace with reference to the first named arm, means extending through both arms and connected together adjacentthe axis of movement of the second arm to convey material through said arms, and means extending along said second arm and separate from the conveying means for swinging the second arm relative to the first.

18. In an a paratus for slagging furnaces, a pair of ho low conveyer arms including an arm adapted to be extended into a furnace, and a distributing arm connected thereto for swinging movement, screw conveyers in both arms, shafts extending through the arms and connected together at the axis of movement of the second arm for operating the screw conveyers, and a shaft extending parallel to and alongside the shaft connected together adjacent the axis of movement of the second arm for operating 7 the screw conveyers, means extending along the first named arm for swinging the second arm relative to the first, the connection between the shafts for driving the two screw conveyers permitting the second arm to swing horizontally with reference to the first, and the shaft operating the conveyer in the second arm being composed of jointed 10 parts which enable said second arm to swing vertically with reference to the first arm.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

EARL w. CLARK. 

